This amusing book explores science as presented on the longest-running and most popular animated TV series ever made: The Simpsons. Over the years, the show has examined such issues as genetic mutation, time travel, artificial intelligence, and even aliens. What's Science Ever Done for Us? examines these and many other topics through the lens of America's favorite cartoon.

This spirited science guide will inform Simpsons fans and entertain science buffs with a delightful combination of fun and fact. It will be the perfect companion to the upcoming Simpsons movie.

The Simpsons is a magnificent roadmap of modern issues in science. This completely unauthorized, informative, and fun exploration of the science and technology, connected with the world's most famous cartoon family, looks at classic episodes from the show to launch fascinating scientific discussions mixed with intriguing speculative ideas and a dose of humor.

• Could gravitational lensing create optical illusions, such as when Homer saw someone invisible to everyone else?
• Is the Coriolis effect strong enough to make all toilets in the Southern Hemisphere flush clockwise, as Bart was so keen to find out?
• If Earth were in peril, would it make sense to board a rocket, as Marge, Lisa, and Maggie did, and head to Mars?

(The Guardian Review, Saturday 18th August 2007)

"...a book that can be enjoyed by all ages."  (Physics World, December 2007)

"[The book] is a fun introduction to some aspects of science that will appeal to anyone curious about some common science..."  (concatenation.org, Wednesday 16th January 2008)

Homer proposed such a theory.

Do three-eyed fish swim near nuclear power plants?

Bart managed to catch one.

Are perpetual-motion machines suitable for school projects?

Lisa constructed a working model.

The Simpsons®, the world's most popular and longest-running animated series, is a treasure-trove of scientific ideas and a clever mixture of fact and fancy. Now there's a guide to the science behind the show. In What's Science Ever Done for Us? you'll find answers to an amazing array of scientific questions raised in 26 classic episodes, including:

• Can genetics explain Homer's dimwittedness and Lisa's brains?

• Are shrink-rays and teleportation devices possible along the linesof Professor Frink's inventions?

• Could androids, like the one that replaced Bart in one episode,ever have consciousness?

• Do toilets in North America and Australia flush in opposite directions?

• If Earth were in peril, should we try to escape on a rocket, like Marge, Lisa, and Maggie did, and attempt to colonize Mars?

• Could we travel back in time, like Homer did, change the past, and find ourselves in a parallel reality?

Whether you're a Simpsons fan, a science buff, or both, get ready to laugh and learn as Homer, Bart, Marge, Lisa, and the entire town of Springfield prove that science isn't just fun—it's hilarious!

PART ONE: IT’S ALIVE!

1. The Simpson Gene.

2. You Say Tomato, I Say Tomacco.

3. Blinky, The Three-Eyed Fish.

4. Burns’ Radiant Glow.

5. We All Live In A Cell-Sized Submarine.

6. Lisa’s Recipe For Life.

7. Look Homer-Ward Angel.

PART TWO: MECHANICAL PLOTS.

8. D'ohs Ex Machina.

9. Perpetual Commotion.

10. Dude, I’m An Android.

11. Rules For Robots.

12. Chaos In Cartoonland.

13. Fly In The Ointment.

PART THREE: NO TIME TO DOHS.

14. Clockstopping.

15. A Toast To The Past.

16. Frinking About The Future.

PART FOUR: SPRINGFIELD, THE UNIVERSE, AND BEYOND.

17. Lisa’s Scoping Skills.

18. Diverting Rays.

19. The Plunge Down Under.

20. If Astrolabes Could Talk.

21. Cometary Cowabunga.

22. Homer’s Space Odyssey.

23. Could This Really Be The End?

24. Foolish Earthlings.

25. Is The Universe A Donut?

26. The Third Dimension Of Homer.

Inconclusion: The Journey Continues.

Acknowledgments.

The Simpsons Movie Handy Science Checklist.

Scientifically Relevant Episodes Discussed in This Book.

Notes.

Further Information

Index.